Review: State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2

Note: State Bicycle Co sent over their Monster Fork v2 for test and review at Guitar Ted Productions at no cost. Guitar Ted is not being bribed, nor paid,for this review and all opinions are his own. 

A little over two weeks ago I featured the State Bicycle Co. Monster Fork v2 in a "Friday News and Views". I had requested a sample to test at that time and now that sample has arrived. I will be installing this fork on my Noble Bikes GX5 and testing it out here. But first, let's review what the fork is all about with its unique drop out/offset feature. 

This fork is all-carbon fiber construction. The steer tube is a typical tapered one, 1 1/8th to 1 1/2", with a very thick-walled, stout look to the steer tube. The stock steer tube is 300mm long, so it should accommodate most head tube lengths out there. Then we work down to the shapely and very beefy looking fork crown. This part of the fork is massive and the span between the fork's legs looks adequate for handling really big tires with room to spare. I'll get around to tire size clearance in a minute. The crown has a threaded boss in the centerline of the fork front and back for things like dynamo light mounts or a fender.

There is a port in the upper part of the fork crown on the non-drive side for the brake housing or hydraulic hose to pass through. Then we work down to the narrower, slightly tapered fork legs. These have the "Triple Boss" mounts for things like cargo cages or water bottles to be mounted to the Monster Fork v2. Maximum load combined is 23Kg/55.12 lbs. 

Note the threaded boss in the fork crown

There is a lower threaded boss for a low rider style rack mount as well. These could also be utilized as lower fender strut mounts. The brake port exit is located midway down the left fork leg on the inner side of that fork leg. This just above the threaded bosses for the flat mount brake. Then we get to the dropouts. 

This is where it gets interesting with the Monster Fork v2. There is a flip-chip, which is a two-sided, oval insert that is sandwiching the carbon pocket it sits in and held together by a small counter-sunk bolt. By "flipping" this aluminum assembly the axle is positioned differently resulting in different handling characteristics and the ability to fit different sized tires and wheels in the fork. 

That's a lot going on for "just a drop out". So, let's break things down a bit to smaller, bite sized chunks of information. 

Tire Clearances: Okay, let's cut to the chase. Most of you will want to know just how big a tire will work in the Monster Fork v2. This fork is compatible with both 650B/27.5" and 700c/29" tires and wheels. The clearances are more in the longer, 55.5mm offset setting. So, for the shorter offset first, which is the 49mm offset the clearances are: up to a 58mm/2.3" tire in 650B/27.5" and up to 55mm/2.1" in a 700c/29"er. Now in the longer 55.5mm offset the clearances are as follows: 650B/27.5 at 62mm/2.45" and in 700c/29" it goes up to a 58mm/2.3" tire. 

The flip-chip offset explainer tab .

Keep in mind that going big on tires increases wheel diameter which also will affect your stand over, bottom bracket height, and gearing. Not to mention the slower/more stable handling bigger tires have versus smaller on the same rims. 

Whew! As if THAT weren't enough, you can change the offset of the fork with smaller tires just to tweak the handling. Also, the way State Bicycle Co. had this designed into the fork, changing offset will also affect a few other things about your bike in minimal, but still notable, ways. 

First, the way the flip-chip was integrated into the carbon fork allows the rider to get the biggest rubber possible in the fork. The angular plane created by the chip for the axle centerline in either placement means that the axle to crown height of the fork is going to be different in each setting. A longer A-C measurement means that your head angle, top tube height, bottom bracket height, and seat tube angle all will be minimally affected. So, if you switch to the 55.5mm offset from the 49mm and seem to find that some things about your bike feel weird, this is why that is. 

Now, about the whole offset thing. Front end geometry for bicycles is largely a misunderstood or unknown subject for many riders. A nerdy, deep dive on front end geometry can be found HERE if you want to dive into that rabbit hole. While that article focuses mainly on 29 inch wheels, the principles are the same for gravel bikes. State Bicycle Co. kind of gets this mixed up in their marketing and info tab on the fork. The correct and salient short story is this: Longer offset = less stable. Shorter offset = more stability. That disregards any changes in wheel diameter, head tube angle, and a few other things which can come into play here, but for most people getting this fork, those other things are locked in with the exception of tire size. So, the simple answer applies here.

Another look at that flip-chip drop out.

What I plan on doing is to use the same wheel and tire combination in the two drop out positions to determine how much of an effect this has on handling of my Noble GX5 gravel bike. I also have a 650B/27.5" wheel set here that I may try some testing with as well. 

A couple of final notes to make on this fork: The material is said to be a "High Grade Carbon Fiber", the 12 X 100m through axle is included, but you will have to purchase a separate steer tube insert for head set adjustment. State offers an FSA plug for an extra $14.99.  State Bicycle Co. offers free exchanges if the fork is not right for you and the fork has a 1 year warranty. Price for the Monster Fork v2 is $299.99 USD. More information on this product can be found HERE.

First Impressions: 

The Monster Fork v2 looks sleek with its legs having a curvish rake to their backside giving the optical illusion that the legs bend backward a bit, but they do not in reality. I like the look, and maybe the tapered legs will offer some compliance? 

The matte black, satin finish looks classy and the logos are very subtle. So, as far as looks go, this fork should compliment any frame it is intended to work for. The "adventure warts" are a welcomed thing in my opinion. I know that there is a trend to separate "serious" racing gravel bikes from the ones with these extra bosses by many brands but to my way of thinking this is a silly notion. The upper tier of supported racing is so tiny that it is almost laughable to think everyone else needs to worry about a few extra bolt mounting points. Many of us riders of gravel can use those as a way to make our rides more fun, and that's kind of the whole point about riding gravel isn't it? 

State claims the Monster Fork v2 weighs 510 grams with an uncut steer tube. This sample weighed in at 550 grams, but I wonder if the six bolts in the fork legs and the through axle  were in the sample weighed by State. 

The fork appears to be well made and everything looks sano. State Bicycle Co. sent along an FSA plug and a lower head set assembly, (both would be extra charges from State), and I could use that assembly on my Twin Six Standard Rando but the Noble GX5 has an integrated head set so all I will need there is the metal, split crown race and possibly the bearing. 

One nit to pick here, and this is just a personal opinion on any fork with an integrated brake route through the fork leg. This feature causes a lot of extra work. Had the routing been external this fork swap would be a piece of cake and I would have it all done in under 30 minutes. However, now I have to disconnect the hydraulic hose from the GRX lever, being careful not to introduce any air into the system, and if I do, it's a brake bleed added to the work. Of course, this means removing handle bar tape on the left side as well. If all goes awry then I need to wrap the entire handle bar with new tape. Not to mention the threading of the hose through the fork, setting up the brakes, (with the high possibility of a brake bleed additional), and cutting the steer tube down to size. Now this could be a hour plus long process for what? To have a "cleaner look"? This is a costly feature that brings little benefit, in my opinion. 

Of course, mechanical brake systems are much easier in this regard. So, again - I get it, but I find the integrated brake line to be of little benefit and potentially a lot of hassle and extra money for the rider. 

So Far... There is a lot going on here and I hope to get to each facet of the fork design and its effects on handling, the benefits to the rider, and how these bring a lot of versatility in one fork. In the meantime I need to get it mounted and do a couple of short test rides to get to know this fork. Then I plan on a longer ride or two out on the gravel after which time I will bring another update to this review. 

But this looks to be a good candidate for anyone looking to upgrade to a carbon fork at a reasonable price that could have a lot of versatility and benefits to the rider. It is light, good looking, and seems well made. Stay tuned for the update in a couple of weeks or so.